A computer hardware engineer oversees the manufacture, installation, and testing of computer

systems, servers, chips, and circuit boards. In addition, he or she works with peripherals
including keyboards, routers, and printers. Another title for this occupation is hardware engineer.

Quick Facts

 In 2015, the median annual salary of computer hardware engineers was $111,730.

 Almost 78,000 people worked in this occupation in 2014.

 Computer and computer system manufacturers employ most hardware engineers.

 Positions are typically full-time.
 Job Outlook: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment will grow
more slowly than the average for all occupations through 2024.

Job Duties

These are some typical job duties described in online ads for computer hardware engineer
positions found on Indeed.com:

 "Diagnose and troubleshoot failed rotational media and solid state storage devices"
 "Analyze user needs and recommend appropriate hardware"
 "Modify hardware to either enable forensic analysis of the media or to change the
functionality of the hardware for other purposes"
 "Participate in the design and development of electronic circuits and assemblies"
 "Conduct technical exploitation and examination of high priority digital media"
 "Test and peer review for technical accuracy, standards and compliance to the design"

How To Become a Computer Hardware Engineer

If you want to become a computer hardware engineer, you will need a bachelor's degree in
computer engineering.

Some employers will accept a degree in electrical engineering or computer science. If you get an
engineering degree, look for a program that is accredited by ABET, a professional engineering
association. To find one, you can use the program search tool on ABET's website. Since
computer hardware engineers need a background in computer science, students who major in
electrical engineering should take classes in that subject.

What Soft Skills Do You Need?

In addition to the technical skills you will acquire through your education, you also need certain
soft skills, or personal qualities, to be successful in this field. They are:

 Critical Thinking: Comparing various solutions to problems will allow you to identify
the best one.
  Reading Comprehension: You will have to do a lot of reading in order to keep up with
changing technology.
 Communication Skills: Since computer hardware engineers frequently work on teams,
excellent verbal communication and listening skills are essential.  
 Creativity: You must be able to come up with new ideas for designing computers,
devices, and peripherals.

What Will Employers Expect From You?

To find out what qualities employers value, we again took a look at job announcements on
Indeed.com. Here's what we found:

 "Strong customer focused attitude"

 "Strong sense of responsibility, commitment to quality and achieving deadlines"
 "Must be highly motivated, self-reliant and goal-driven to participate as a member of a
cross-functional team"
 "Demonstrate critical attention to detail and deadlines, and are self-motivated"
 "Willingness to embrace new development techniques and design aids"

Is This Career a Good Fit for You?

Occupations With Related Activities and Tasks

Annual
  Description Salary Educational Requirements
(2015)
Electrical / Creates and tests Bachelor's degree in electrical
Electronics electrical and electronic $93,0100 engineering, electronics engineering,
Engineer equipment or electrical engineering technology
Electrical Helps engineers develop
Associate degree in electrical or
Engineering electrical and electronic $61,130
electronics engineering technology
Technician equipment
Designs and tests Bachelor's degree in mechanical
Mechanical
machines, engines, and $83,590 engineering or mechanical
Engineer
tools engineering technology
Designs imaging
Photonics Bachelor's degree in optics, photonics,
systems, fiber optics, $95,900
Engineer or physics
and lasers
Network Administrator
A network administrator, sometimes called a systems or system administrator; an IT manager,
director or specialist; or a LAN administrator, manages an organization's computer networks. His
or her areas of expertise include local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs) and
intranets. They organize, install and provide support for these systems.

Employment Facts

Approximately 366,000 people worked in this occupation in 2012.

While most network administrators are employed in the computer systems design, educational
and information industries, jobs can be found in many different types of organizations.

Educational Requirements

Most employers prefer to hire job candidates who have a bachelor's degree in computer science
or in information science although some will hire workers who have only a postsecondary
certificate. Some network administrators have a degree in computer or electrical engineering.
Why Do You Need to Know About Educational Requirements?

Other Requirements

Those who work in this occupation often have certifications from software vendors such as
Cisco, Microsoft, Juniper or CompTia. This will demonstrate to employers that you have
expertise in a particular product. To become certified you will typically have to pass an exam.
You can prepare for it by using study materials available from the vendor and participating in
training they have approved.

 Network administrators must be willing to keep up with new technologies in this continuously
changing field, even getting additional certifications as necessary.

While technical skills obtained through formal training and certifications are important, network
administrators also need certain soft skills, or personal qualities.

 Strong critical thinking and problem solving skills will allow you to solve problems within an
organizations' computer network after weighing all the possible options and determining which
will be most effective. Good listening skills will help you communicate with your colleagues. In
order to understand written documentation, you will need good reading comprehension skills.
Advancement Opportunities

After gaining experience as a network administrator you can become a computer network
architect or a computer and information systems manager.
Why Do You Need to Know About Advancement?

Job Outlook

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts employment of network administrators will grow
about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2022.
Why Do You Need to Know About Job Outlook?

Earnings

Network administrators earned a median annual salary of $75,790 and hourly wages of $36.44 in
2014.

Use the Salary Wizard at Salary.com to find out how much medical transcriptionists currently
earn in your city.

A Day in a Network Administrator's Life

These are some typical job duties taken from online ads for network administrator positions
found on Indeed.com:

 Provide technical oversight of a multi-site enterprise level WAN, including planning,

implementation/expansion, maintenance, and troubleshooting

 Prepare and maintain documentation of network configurations and cabling layouts

 Manage telecommunication needs
 Design, deploy and administer the Wireless Infrastructure and supporting systems
 Recommend upgrades, patches, and new applications and equipment
 Train team members on new hardware or software
 Research and recommend innovative, and where possible automated, approaches for
system administration tasks
 Analyze and monitor server security and make recommendations or implement
patches/fixes to address potential security holes
 Provide hardware and operating system support for the corporate and field computer
systems environment, UNIX, Linux, Windows, storage and Tape Library
 Provide on call and weekend support when needed

Occupations With Related Activities and Tasks

 Annual
  Description Salary Educational Requirements
(2014)
Associate degree for most jobs;
Computer Network Provides technical support to
$61,830 a bachelor's degree for some
Support Specialist an organization's IT staff
positions
Associate degree for most jobs;
Responsible for the look and
Web Developer $63,490 high school diploma or
technical aspects of websites
bachelor's degree for some
Bachelor's degree or post-
Web Administrator Maintains websites $83,410
secondary certificate
Builds data communication Bachelor’s degree in computer
Computer Network
networks such as LANs, $98,430 science, information systems or
Architect
WANs and intranets engineering